THOMAS, CARROLL SOUTH EAST WALES LEAGUE DIVISION SIX
HIGH flying Blaengarw travelled to Blaenavon looking to continue their rich vein of form against a very strong Panteg outfit and it was the Garw Valley side who came off second best.
Blaengarw went in first and after a solid start, they were 50-2 off 10 overs and the foundations were set for a decent target, with Bridgend Athletic rugby star Luke Bevan (38) and William Struthers (26) top scoring for the Darren Park outfit. And after 30.5 overs, Blaengarw found themselves 165 all out.
The home side set about the run chase with great gusto and with inform batsman Chris Curry, who seemed to have the recipe for success, top scoring with 33 runs to his name. After 35.4 overs, Panteg reached the winning target. The Blaengarw bowling figures were: skipper Lloyd Chambers 7.4-229-0, Dean Cox 9-2-34-1, Rees Jones 9-0-51-2, Garin Lougher 9-1-40-2 and Geraint Gillet 1-0-11-0.
This Saturday Blaengarw welcome Bridgend Town Thirds to Darren Park,for a mouth wartering local deby, start time 1pm. THERE was strong Neath representation last week during the drawn clash between Glamorgan and Surrey in the Second XI Championship at The Gnoll, writes Tony Poole.
The home players in the side were Steffan Roberts from Maesteg, spinner Kieran Bull and ex-Cowbridge all-rounder Neil Brand.
Jeremy Lawlor – who is the Glamorgan-attached player at Bridgend Town this summer – was also selected and having won the toss, Surrey opted to have a bat.
They made 344 from 112.2 overs with captain Brand 23-7-52-4, Bull 32.2-4-81-2 and Lawlor 11-3-29-0 the top bowlers.
When the Welsh county responded, Brand held things together with a flagship 106 (10 fours off 262 balls in 291 mins).
Lawlor chipped in with 41 but the damage was done by GS (Amer) Virdi – an apparent England spinner in the making with 36.3-6-77-6.
Second time around Surrey declared on 203-4, setting Glamorgan 306 to win.
But once more it was only Brand who really got going, hitting 60 (two sixes, five boundaries off 145 balls in 129 mins).
An ex-Glamorgan attached player at Bridgend Town, Ruaidhri Smith, got 46 but Glamorgan came up well short on 166-8.
Virdi was again the Surrey strike weapon, and during another marathon stint he delivered 30-1554-5. BEN Symons picked up the two main Penybont Development Team awards during a Presentation Evening ceremony staged in the clubhouse, writes Tony Poole.
Consistent displays last winter in the Welsh Premiership Development League (South) led to him being the choice of both manager Mark Davies and his team-mates for their player-of-the-year awards.
And Jonathan Davies was Development Team young player-of-the-year.
The annual Gareth Morgan award for endeavour and eye for detail went to former rugby star Lyndon Borge.
Third team silverware went to the following players:
Manager Peter Good- win’s player-of-the-year: Ben Hopkins.
Third Team Most Improved: Cody Lear.
Third Team Players’ Player: Jamie Hodgkinson.
Coverage of both the Second Team and U16 awards night will follow in the Glamorgan Gazette.